Danny Kaye-- one of the world's best known comedy and musical entertainers
In his movies, he often played a disaster-prone, hyper, tongue-twisitng fumbler who, with all the best intentions in the world, got into one fix after another until the last few scenes when he never failed to become the hero get the beautiful girl.
But it was his ability to rattle off a continuous stream of words and dialects at a haphazardly and dizzying rate that made his brand of comedy stand out from all the other stars of the era. Equally comfortable on the stage, the radio, in movies, on TV or before a live audience, his face was a mirror for the emotions he expressed, felt and brought to his acting and comedy parts as was his quick wit, unique sense of humor and his dancing and singing. But the public entertainer wasn't the only side of Danny Kaye.
He was also an outstanding gourmet chef of Chinese foods, a symphony conductor, a baseball team owner, a radio station owner, an airplane pilot of single engine planes to 747's, a deeply committed humanitarian concerned with children worldwide and a devoted husband and father.
Danny Kaye charmed the world and his audiences with his own quirky, never to be forgotten, style.
IT ALL STARTED WHEN HE WAS BORN--
It had to start somewhere, right?
Danny was born David Daniel Kaminsky in Brooklyn on January 18, 1913, the third son of an immigrant Jewish Ukrainian tailor and the only one in his family to be born in America. He was considered the class clown during his time in the New York City public school system and he became so popular that he was convinced he could make more money "clowning around" than staying in school and graduating. So, at the tender age of 13, he ran away to Florida where he sang on the streets to earn money to live.
By 1933, he had changed his name to Danny Kaye and was back in New York State where he worked for a radio station and performed at the summer hotels and camps of the Catskills as a comedian. It was while working here that he joined a dance team.On the opening night of his first show, he lost his balance, fell onto the stage and was shocked, baffled and then pleased when the audience broke into a roar of laughter. They had loved his physical comedy and he loved the sound of their laughter! He kept the fall in the act as well as adding other physical comedy bits.
HE LEARNED THE ART OF HOW TO MAKE ALL PEOPLES LAUGH
unable to speak the languages of his audiences, he began to fine-tune his double-talk, the babbling speech, his mime work and his dialect routines as a way to communicate. Laughter was his way to reach the audience and by honing his comedy skills he was able to do this.Eventually, Danny became so good at the high speed double-talking, nonsense words that it threatened to typecast him. To avoid this, he worked on his other skills and became an excellent singer, actor and dancer.
HIS FILM DEBUT
Two of these shorts were Dime a Dance, with
Imogene Coca in 1937, and Money Or Your Life (listed by some as Money On Your Life) in 1938. The film series ended abruptly when the studio shut down permanently in 1938 after the last short was made. Unfortunately, Danny's film career also shut down for several years before reviving again.
HIS BROADWAY DEBUT
Nothing Could Stop Him Now!
same year he was cast in "Lady in the Dark" by Moss Hart. He debuted in this part on January 21, 1941.
Kaye had married a young woman named Sylvia Fine in 1940, and this marked another turning point in his career, because Sylvia Fine would become not only his manager, but the author of some of his best gags and routines, as well as his lyricist. It was she who wrote the tongue-twisting songs and monologues with which Kaye had captured Moss Hart's attention.Hart had written Danny into the play with an 11 minute part playing a temperamental photographer who's mastered the art of tongue twisters. Danny did the now famous song "Tchaikovsky", in which he sings the names of 54 Russian composers (real and fictional) in 38 seconds, seemingly without taking a breath. It brought the second act to a standstill. Danny later recorded the song on one of his albums.
In recognization for his performance and growing popularity, he was given a $500 a week salary (a good amount of money for the time) and billing on the marquee. A major forward step for his career.
Danny then had the lead role in "Let's Face It", a
show about army life with a score written by Cole Porter, Herbert and Dorothy Fields and Sylvia Fine (his wife).
Through the early 40's Danny continued to entertain in night clubs, on Broadway and with the USO, traveling overseas to entertain the troops during WWII. Though Kaye had appeared in his first film in 1937, it wasn't until almost ten years later that his film career hit its stride. HOLLYWOOD AT LAST!
Producer Samuel Goldwyn signed him in 1943 to star in the comedy "Up In Arms". Goldwyn agonized over Kaye's ethnic, Jewish looks and ordered him to undergo a nose job. Kaye and his wife refused, and Goldwyn came up with another way to brighten Kaye's dark features by lightening his hair, giving him his trademark redheaded locks.Kaye's rubber face and fast patter were an instant hit and for the next decade he was one of the screen's biggest comedy and musical stars.
He made several of his first films with Virginia Mayo, a well known star of the time. He made a total of 17 films in all during this period.Some of the best included Wonderman, The Kid From Brooklyn, The Court Jester, Merry Andrew, Me and the Colonel, The Inspector General, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Hans Christian Andersen, White Christmas and The Five Pennies.
UP IN ARMS
DANNY WAS ALWAYS BUSY PERFORMING
the Royal Family who, for the first time in history, left the Royal Box and moved to the front row of the orchestra in order to get a better view of the performance. It was said that he "roused the Royal family to shrieks of laughter."
Danny also conducted several major symphony orchestras even though he claimed he couldn't read a note. Of course, each concert was accompanied with unpredictable zany antics, yet master conductors praised his work and said that the music was true to its symphonic form.The "The Flight of the Bumble Bee", conducted with a flyswatter of all things, was his most requested concert performance. This piece performed along with others raised more than $5,000,000 through the years for various Musicians Pension Funds.
His "Live From Lincoln Center: An Evening With Danny Kaye and The New York Philharmonic"
was labeled an outstanding performance and helped win him the Peabody Award in 1981. The other factor to winning the award was his one and only dramatic role as a Nazi concentration camp survivor in "Skokie", a television production from that same year.
THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
Danny Kaye The Inspector General clip
A clip from the begining of the Danny Kaye movie "The Inspector General" 1949 This film is in the public domain!
DANNY KAYE ON TV AND AGAIN ON BROADWAY
Danny Kaye also starred in his own musical-variety series on television, "The Danny Kaye Show" from 1963 to 1967 for which he won an Emmy in 1963.He returned to Broadway in 1970 in "Two by Two" where he injured his hip. Nevertheless, he continued on with the show, appearing night after night for 10 months either on crutches or in a wheelchair. In 1976, he starred opposite Sandy Duncan in "Pinocchio" and as Captain Hook with Mia Farrow in "Peter Pan".
THE COURT JESTER--ONE OF HIS FUNNIEST FILMS
But it is in "The Court Jester" that Kaye displays the vocal, tongue-twisting talents which made him famous when he says the simple line, "The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle, the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true."Danny said that for the rest of his life it never failed that wherever he went at least one fan would run up to him and quote that line.
DANNY KAYE'S FAMOUS SCENE IN "THE COURT JESTER"
The Court Jester - The Pellet With The Poison
Danny Kaye stars in this wonderful clip from The Court Jester (1955)featuring the classic "Pellet With The Poison" routine.. Again, if you like this clip, consider buying the movie!
DANNY'S PRINTS IN THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME
Danny was immortalized in true Hollywood style when he put his hand and footprints in Hollywood Walk of Fame (located at 6563 Hollywood Blvd) in 1969. THE INCH WORM SONG
The Muppet Show: The Inchworm
Sung by Danny Kaye with Kermit and others. From episode 64 of "The Muppet Show" with special guest star Danny Kaye.
THE MANY SIDES OF DANNY KAYE
Danny and UNICEF
UNICEF where he was named a permanent ambassador-at-large for the world's children. In 1965, when that agency was selected to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Danny Kaye was selected to accept it.
He logged thousands of miles appearing for UNICEF and once went to 65 cities in just 5 day, piloting his own aircraft and so entered the Guinness Book Of Records. Of his UNICEF work he once commented, "I think maybe I get along so well with kids because I'm not afraid to be a child."
Danny was a baseball team owner
Seattle Mariners along with his partner Lester Smith from 1977 to 1981.Prior to that, the lifelong fan of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers recorded a song called "The D-O-D-G-E-R-S Song (Oh really? No, O'Malley!)", describing a fictitious encounter with the San Francisco Giants, which was a hit during those clubs' real-life pennant chase of 1962.
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
DTS Hollywood Musical Moment - "Anatole of Paris"
Danny Kaye at his smoothest performing "Anatole of Paris" from "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (1947).
Danny opened Epcot
Anniversary of Disneyland celebration, and hosted the opening celebration for Epcot in 1982 (EPCOT Center at the time), both of which were aired on prime-time American television. THE LOSS OF A SHINNING STAR
The World Will Never Know Another Like Him
Mr. Danny Kaye died in Los Angeles, California on March 3, 1987 ,at the age of 74 from a heart attack, following a bout of hepatitis and internal bleeding, the result of the transfusion of contaminated blood during bypass heart surgery four years earlier.
He was survived by his wife, Sylvia Fine Kaye, and their daughter, Dena.He is interred in the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York where his grave is marked by a bench. The back of which contains friezes of a baseball and bat, an aircraft, a piano, a flower pot, musical notes, and a glove. All the things that he loved and that made up his life.
A FINAL TRIBUTE TO A GREAT MAN
millions the world over with his special talent for making us laugh. His numerous credits on Broadway, on the screen, and on television were all characterized by his devotion to his craft. Even though he was just acting, his genuine love for people came through. Children, especially, felt his warmth and humanity, and he enjoyed a special bond with his young audiences. Danny Kaye could light up a room just by smiling. He shared his talent with the world, and by so doing, made it a better place. He will be missed, and Nancy joins me in extending our deep sympathy to his family."Comedian, singer, dancer, entertainer, master of mimicry, gourmet chef, pilot, symphony conductor, UNICEF ambassador, husband, father; Danny Kaye touched many people in all his various endeavors through out his life.
To make people laugh with his singing, impersonations, fast talking and miming was his goal each and every time he went on stage, before a camera or before an audience. I think he succeeded.
He left behind an unforgettable legacy of good will and humor that will be remembered for many years to come.
SOME OF DANNY'S GREAT FILMS
Up in Arms
His first Hollywood film. A musical set in contemporary time, a hypochondriac has wartime adventures while trying to impress a pretty nurse.
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![Wonder Man [Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5166VR0F7NL._SL75_.jpg)
Wonder Man [Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo]
Danny Kaye plays a dual role in this comedy spotlighting his multitude of talents in singing, dancing and physical comedy. Just before he's about to testify against the mob, the fast-living nightclub entertainer Buzzy Bellew is slain. But Buzzy's ghost promptly proceeds to haunt his rather reserved, bookish twin Edwin... until Edwin agrees to take his place on the stage. Hoping to catch those responsible for the killing, the shy librarian not only capably steps into his double's dancing shoes, but also into the arms of Buzzy's fiancée.
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The Kid from Brooklyn
The plot concerns Burleigh Sullivan, a kindly milkman who is duped into thinking he's championship-boxer material. Kaye is again paired with Virginia Mayo
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Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The versatile comedian--also an unsurpassed song-and-dance man--plays a henpecked, thriller-genre book writer suddenly enmeshed in a real adventure involving the girl of his dreams (Virginia Mayo). This is my #1 favorite.
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A Song is Born
A Song Is Born must be considered a stand-alone film--both Danny Kaye and frequent costar Virginia Mayo deliver topnotch musical-comedic-dramatic performances. The story centers on a group of anachronistic music academics who become involved with a nightclub singer (Mayo), who they hope will teach them about contemporary music, but who also happens to be the moll of a well-known gangster.
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A LIST OF HIS HOLLYWOOD FILMS
They are all great! He was a true comedian and his films can still make you laugh even after all these years!
1945 - Wonder Man
1946 - Kid From Brooklyn
1947 - Secret Life of Walter Mitty
1948 - Song Is Born
1949 - Inspector General
1949 - It's A Great Feeling
1951 - On The Riviera
1952 - Hans Christian Andersen
1953? - Invitation to the Dance
1954 - Knock On Wood
1954 - White Christmas
1956 - Court Jester
1958 - Merry Andrew
1958 - Me and the Colonel
1959 - Five Pennies
1961 - On The Double
1963 - Diner's Club
1969 - Madwoman Of Chailot
DANNY KAYE ON eBAY
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MORE OF DANNY KAYE'S FILMS
White Christmas
Crosby and Kaye are song-and-dance men who hook up, romantically and professionally, with a "sister" act (Clooney and Vera-Ellen) to put on a Big Show to benefit the struggling ski-resort lodge run by the beloved old retired general (Dean Jagger) of their WWII Army outfit. Crosby is cool, Clooney is warm, Kaye is goofy, and Vera-Ellen is leggy. Songs include: "Sisters" (Crosby and Kaye do their own drag version, too), "Snow," "We'll Follow the Old Man," "Mandy," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," and more. Christmas would be unthinkable without White Christmas.
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The Court Jester
Portraying the clownish but good-hearted entertainer Hawkins, he infiltrates the court of the corrupt Basil Rathbone (up to his usual brand of cruel villainy) disguised as the legendary king of jesters, Giacomo. After a court sorceress hypnotizes Hawkins into believing he is also a legendary assassin, Hawkins has more identities than he can keep straight, and Kaye zips back and forth between them at, literally, a snap of the fingers. Comic highlights include a wonderful sword fight with Rathbone in which he constantly switches identities, and the classic "chalice from the palace/vessel with pestle" wordplay as Hawkins plays "hide the poison" and forgets where it is.
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
The Inspector General
Danny Kaye is superb in this movie about a bumbler who is mistaken for an Inspector General, and how he pulls it off is a constant laugh riot.
Amazon Price: $7.98 (as of 10/10/2008)
Hans Christian Andersen
Of all the Danny Kaye movies, this musical biography of the legendary vagabond storyteller is definitely the most poignant, extending the performer's range far beyond his usual comic shtick. It may not be as funny as Wonder Man, but it has so much more going for it. In fact, the film is really more about Kaye than Andersen, providing rare insight into his humanitarian ideals and rapport with children.
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
The Five Pennies
Danny Kaye shows off his keen musical sense in the lead role of The Five Pennies, the life story of cornet master Red Nichols--or at least the Hollywood version of Nichols'd life. The movie gets off to a kicky start as Nichols joins a big-city band, meets his future wife (Barbara Bel Geddes), and sits in on a speakeasy session with Louis Armstrong.
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
WHITE CHRISTMAS
This is a special favorite of mine
White Christmas Theatrical Trailer
White Christmas (1954) May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white. Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen, Dean Jagger
QUIPS AND QUOTES FROM DANNY KAYE
A jester unemployed is nobody's fool!~~~The Court JesterI wasn't born a fool. It took work to get this way.~~~The Court Jester
You'd be surprised how many kings are only a queen with a mustache.~~~Hans Christsan Andersen
You bet I arrived overnight. Over a few hundred nights in the Catskills, in vaudeville, in clubs and on Broadway.
Your small minds are muscle bound with suspicion. That's why the only exercise you ever get is jumping to conclusions.~~~The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch onto the affirmative, don't mess with Mr. In-Between.~~~The Danny Kaye Show
If you're not cooking with joy, happiness and love, you're not cooking well.
I'm proud to recall that at no time at all and that with no other resources but my own resources, with firm application and determination....I made a fool of myself.~~~The Court Jester
Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint on it you can.
DANNY KAYE RECORDS
Minnie the Moocher by Danny Kaye
with Chorus and Orchestra directed by Maurice Abravanel. Released by Columbia in 1945.
DANNY KAYE MUSICAL ITEMS FROM eBAY
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The Great Danny Kaye (3 CD Set)
Amazon Price: $31.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
Selections from Hans Christian Andersen & Other Fa
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The Best of Danny Kaye
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The Five Pennies
Amazon Price: $14.98 (as of 10/10/2008)
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THE LIFE OF DANNY KAYE
JUST FOR LAUGHS
BOY, THOSE DANNY KAYE MOVIES JUST CRACK US UP!
